What is Dysautonomia?
Dysautonomia is a nervous system disorder that disrupts autonomic* body processes. (*Autonomic means involuntary or unconscious). These are automatic functions such as blood pressure and heart rate.
Having dysautonomia means these functions don’t work properly, causing disruptive symptoms.
People living with various forms of dysautonomia have trouble regulating these systems, which can result in lightheadedness, fainting, unstable blood pressure, abnormal heart rate, and malnutrition.
The ANS
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary physiologic processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal.
The ANS contains three anatomically distinct divisions: sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric.
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) controls those functions of the body we do not consciously think about, such as:
heart rate
blood pressure
digestion
dilation and constriction of the pupils of the eye
kidney function
temperature control
Various types of dysautonomia
Dysautonomia can manifest in the form of reflex (vasovagal) syndromes, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH), carotid sinus hypersensitivity syndrome, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
PoTS in ADHD and Autism
PoTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Orthostatic refers to standing up and tachycardia means a fast heart-rate.
The most common symptoms are dizziness or feeling faint upon standing from a sitting or lying position, however it is much more complex than that.
The causal relationship is inadequately studied and understood, however it is believed there is a link between dysautonomia and hypermobility (and other connective tissue disorders).
PoTS is significantly more prevalent in people with hypermobility disorders (i.e. hEDS), and ADHDers and Autistics are also substantially more likely to have hypermobility disorders.
Potential signs & symptoms of dysautonomia
Will manifest differently in each person
Dysautonomia symptoms may include:
Abnormally fast or slow heart rate
Excessive sweating or not being able to sweat
Fatigue
Feeling short of breath (especially when you exercise)
Feeling thirsty all the time
Having trouble swallowing
Headaches
Nausea and diarrhea
Vision problems (blurred vision, vision loss, tunnel vision)
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice and I am not a medical professional.
This article is based on extensive research, but is intended as general information, and is not meant for diagnostic use. If you have questions, please consult your healthcare provider.
© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity. MB
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